Photo: DR

With the new rules applying at midnight, New Zealand was the first major country where golfers were able to implement the new rules, 12 hours before the birthplace of golf and the R&A headquarters in St Andrews.

As part of the R&A goal of ensuring the success of golf for the next 50 years, the institution believes that the modernized rules will be fairer, less complicated, more welcoming and better suited to the problems facing the game, such as improving the pace of play and environmental management.

Golfers Can Now Access Official 2019 Golf Rules here (in English).

What changes in 2019, decryption

(source: ffgolf)

• The general goals and objectives of this modernization are that the Rules of Golf:
• Are more easily understandable and applicable by all golfers
• Be more consistent, simple and fair; and
• Reinforce the principles and long-standing intrinsic nature of the game.
• Use concepts, procedures and consequences that are more intuitive and easier to learn;
• Use a consistent approach for similar situations;
• Avoid unnecessary concepts, inappropriate penalties and exceptions that can create “penalty traps” for the player; and
• Encourage broader goals for play, such as promoting a faster pace of play and better environmental management.

Summary of some major changes to the Rules

When things happen to your ball in Game

1 Ball at rest accidentally moved

• You accidentally move your ball while looking for it: there is no longer a penalty
• You accidentally move your ball or ball-marker when they are on the putting green: there is no longer a penalty

2 Replace a moved or lifted ball

• New procedure when you do not know the exact spot where your ball lay: You must replace the ball at its estimated original spot (rather than drop the ball there); and if that estimated spot was over, under, or against any growing or fixed item (such as grass), you must replace the ball over, under, or against those items.

3 Ball in motion accidentally deflected

• Your ball in motion accidentally hits you, your equipment, your caddy, someone who took charge of the flagstick for you, or a flagstick removed or taken over: there is no longer a penalty (as when your ball bounces off the face of a bunker and hits you)

Take a Clearance

1 Drop a Ball into a Defined Clearance Area

• Different drop procedure: Instead of dropping the ball at shoulder height, the ball should now be dropped at knee height (i.e. the height of a player's knee when standing)
• Defined relief zone: the ball must always be dropped in a relief zone and it must always be played from this zone, whereas currently one must drop either in a zone, or as close as possible to a precise point, or on a line The different cases where a ball had to be re-dropped are considerably simplified.
• Fixed dimensions define the clearance zone: Depending on the case, the zone will be one or two club lengths: a club length being defined as the length of the longest club in your bag, except the putter.

2 Lost ball

• Reduced Bullet Search Time: A bullet is lost if it is not found within three minutes (instead of the current five minutes) after you start searching for it.

3 Ball pressed

• Relief for Embedded Ball in General Area: You may take relief if your ball is embedded anywhere (except in sand) in the general area (which is the new term for "course"), unless a Local Rule restricts it. relief to the fairway or similar areas (which is the reverse of the default procedure which is in the current Rules).

4 Ball to use when taking a clearance

• Substitute Another Ball: You may continue to use the original ball or change balls each time you take relief under a Rule, whether that relief is with or without penalty.

Special rules for specific parts of the route

1 The Green

• Putting with Flagstick Left in Hole: There is no longer a penalty if you play a ball from the green and it hits the flagstick left in the hole.
• Repairing damage on the green: You can repair a lot of damage (including nail marks and animal damage) on the green (rather than being limited to only repairing ball marks and old plugs. holes).
• Hitting your line of putt or touching the green indicating the target: There is no longer a penalty if you or your caddy does any of these things, as long as it does not improve the conditions affecting your stroke.
• Replacing Your Ball If It Moves After You Have Already Marked, Lifted, and Replaced It: Any time this happens on the putting green, you return your ball to its original spot - even if it was pushed by the green. windy or moved for no clear reason.
• Your caddy marks and lifts your ball on the putting green: There is no longer a penalty if your caddy does this without your explicit permission to do so.

2 penalty areas

• Generalized penalty areas in addition to water hazards: “Penalty areas” marked with red and yellow stakes can now cover areas that the Committee decides to mark for this purpose (such as deserts, ravines, volcanic rock fields. , or areas that may present hazards), in addition to areas with water.
• Removal of the relief option on the opposite edge: You may no longer take relief from a red penalty area on the edge opposite to where the ball last entered the penalty area (unless the Committee adopts a Local rule authorizing it).
• Lifting all specific restrictions on moving or touching things in a penalty area: There is no longer a penalty if you remove or move loose impediments (such as leaves, stones and sticks) or touch the ground with your hand or club in a penalty area. Even if your ball lies in this penalty area.

3 bunkers

• Authorization to remove loose impediments: There is no longer a penalty if you touch or move loose impediments in a bunker even though your ball lies in the bunker.
• Relaxed restrictions on touching sand with your hand or club when your ball is in a bunker: You are now only prohibited from touching the sand (1) with your hand or club to test the condition of the bunker or (2) with your club in the area just behind or in front of your ball, in a practice swing or in the backswing of your stroke.
• New relief option for unplayable ball: with two penalty strokes, you can take relief outside the bunker by dropping a ball back on the line joining the hole and where your ball was at rest in the bunker .

Equipment you are allowed to use

1 damaged clubs

• Using damaged clubs: You can continue to use a club that was damaged during the turn, regardless of how it happened (for example even if you damaged it in an angry gesture).
• Replacement of damaged clubs: You cannot replace a damaged club, unless you are not responsible for the damage.

2 Distance measuring devices

• Authorized distance measuring devices: You can use devices to measure distance, unless this is prohibited by a Local Rule (this is the reverse of what exists in the current Rules).

How to prepare and make a move

• Reinforced Restrictions on Caddy's Aid to Line-Up: Your caddy is not permitted to stand in a line behind you from the time you begin to take your stance until you have completed your stance. stroke. More possibility therefore for the caddy to align his player before the stroke.

Promote a faster rate of play

• You are encouraged to play faster: It is recommended that you complete each stroke in no more than 40 seconds - and usually faster than that - once it is your turn to play.
• Off-Turn Stroke Play (Golf "Ready? Play"): This has always been allowed without penalty, but now you are strongly encouraged to do so to save time, but in a responsible and safe manner.
• New Form of Stroke Play: The Rules recognize a new form of "Maximum Score" stroke play, where your score for a hole is capped at a maximum (such as double or triple bogey) set by the Committee, so that you can raise your ball and move on to the next hole when your score reaches or exceeds this maximum.

Highlight high standards of player behavior and trust in player integrity

There is no longer a separate section for the etiquette but the major principles that it put forward are now integrated into the Rules: act with integrity, have consideration for others and take care of the course.

• Play in the spirit of the game: New provisions are added to reinforce the high standards of behavior expected of all players on the field and it is at the discretion of the Committees to disqualify players for bad behavior that does not comply with this code .
• Player Behavior Code: The Committees have the authority to adopt their own player behavior code and to impose penalties in the event of breach of the standards of this code.
• Elimination of the need to announce intention to lift the ball: When you have a good reason to lift your ball to identify it, to see if it is cut or split or to see if you are allowed to take relief (such as to see if your ball is embedded), you no longer have to tell another player or your scorer in advance that you intend to do so or give that person the opportunity to observe the process. .
• Interpretation of Reasonable Judgment: When you need to estimate or measure a place, point, line, area or distance according to a Rule, your reasonable judgment will not be reconsidered because of subsequent information ( such as video) if you have done everything that could reasonably be expected in the circumstances to make the estimate or measurement accurately.